Two Simple Nudges: Engage Students and Empower Learning

Sometimes, the most effective instructional strategies are the simplest ones. Today’s nudges show just how modest and impactful these small adjustments can be in your teaching practice.

Pivot: Keep Engagement High with a Simple Shift

Our nudge ideas often stem from the insights gained during our Flipped Math Study project. As part of that work, Sam and I, along with our incredible team of graduate students and a postdoc, observed more than 50 algebra lessons. We analyzed a lot of different aspects of each mathematics lesson using our flipped mathematics instruction coding framing (read all about it here). One particularly interesting aspect we tracked was instructional formats.

We coded how teachers structured their lessons into formats such as:

• Whole class discourse: All eyes on the teacher or a single individual.
• Group work: Students intentionally grouped to tackle tasks together.
• Independent work: Students working alone or in informal, voluntary groups.
• Non-instructional time: Classroom routines, announcements, or transitions.

What stood out to us? During many lessons, students stayed locked into one instructional format for long stretches—sometimes over 30 minutes. As the time went by, engagement levels visibly dropped.

This led to the creation of the Pivot nudge. It’s as simple as it sounds: if you’ve been using the same instructional format for an extended period, pivot to something new. Switch gears to re-engage both your students and yourself.

Teachers who’ve tried this nudge report increased engagement across the board. Best of all, it doesn’t require extensive planning—it’s an easy, on-the-fly adjustment.

Going Downhill: Flip Homework Struggles into Wins

Another insight from our classroom observations involves end-of-class routines. Picture this common scenario:

• The teacher assigns homework.
• There’s some time left, so students begin working on it.
• Students typically start with the first problem and progress sequentially.

The issue? Many students lack access to homework help at home. And, as is often the case, the toughest problems are at the end of the homework set. So, students can work through the easier problems in class but are left to struggle (often by themselves) on the harder ones at home.

While we value the growth that comes from productive struggle, we also recognize the benefit of tackling tough problems with peers and the teacher present to help. Enter Going Downhill, a nudge designed to flip this routine on its head.

Encourage your students to start with the problems they find most challenging. This way, they can leverage the collective brainpower in the room while tackling the tougher questions. Bonus: Turn this into a formative assessment by asking students why they identified certain problems as difficult.

That’s it for today’s nudges—simple, effective, and easy to implement. Keep an eye out for more in the coming weeks.

What’s your favorite nudge? Let me know in the comments below!